After quite some time acclimatizing, Carrying loads and
setting up camp one and camp two. With a break in the weather I made my
first attempt at the summit on the 30 September. Setting off at 5am from camp
2, as I didn't have enough equipment to set up a camp 3 but in the end
conditions where still cold from the bad weather and by the time I got to the
rock band my feet where frozen and I had to make the decision of either going
for the summit or losing some toes so I turned back. Of course the mountain is
a cruel mistress and due to that adventure I have lost all feeling in all my
toes.

I made a my next
attempt the next day on the 1 October, this time I

set off a 2am to
give me plenty of time. Early on in the expedition going from Base camp to
intermediate camp I had to do a river crossing and bashed the heal of my foot,
I think that I may have damaged some muscles or bruised the bone, so was not
able to walk properly on my foot. I also managed to develop a high altitude
cough, which I have to say is a cough like no other, at times you fell like
you are going to cough your lungs out, and because of the lack of oxygen when
you start coughing you have to stop to catch your breath all the time. It also
feels like you may pass out at times. Combined with these problems you are
fighting the standard problems of the intense cold, fatigue, exhaustion and
mucked up appetite that you get, but I was determined that none of it was
going to get in the way, but I have to say I was not moving fast on the
mountain. I managed to reach the summit solo at 4:20pm, 14 hour and 20 minutes
after heading off. It's a very strange feeling reaching the top; with the lack
of oxygen things seem a little dream like especially when you are looking down
on these massive clouds floating beneath you - but it felt good - part of me
was amazed to be there then at the same time it seemed quite surreal. I took
some photos sat down composed my thoughts and then headed down at about
5:15pm.

The descent was
quite arduous due to the exhaustion and fatigue and at one Point at the rock
band lost my footing by the rock band on some ice and was almost thrown off
the mountain, but was luckily managed to arrest my fall with my ice axe. It
got in to the evening and dark with my descent and had to use my head torch.
Unfortunately due to my coughing it loosened some wires in my torch and I had
to remove my gloves to reconnect the wire. It was only for a matter of maybe 5
minutes, but you pay a dear price and I

have lost the
feeling in all the fingers of my right hand, I am told that within a couple of
months I should have full feeling back in my toes and fingers. In the end I
got back to camp 2 at about 11:30pm, so full summit and return took me about
21 hours, which is a very long time and a lot longer then most but I was
determined and just but my head down and when for it.

That evening, I
guess maybe because of dehydration, I woke up during the Night choking, it was
quite funny as I having a dream about a group of Japanese and the dream seemed
to become part of what was happening and in the dream the group where running
around trying to find out why I was not able to breathe - in the end I woke up
pulling at my clothing shouting out in Japanese quite strange. But the next
day I got my stuff together and headed down to camp 1 and I didn't have any
more problems.

I have to say as
tough as it was, it was good and I am glad I did it! I = believe that I pushed
myself and extended my envelope. There where some amazing views, that make you
feel like the world was floating beneath you - and it was all worth it. Jason
McMillan